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As originally imagined, The Yard would sprawl across 17 acres and include space for more than a dozen restaurants and retail venues. (Concept illustration courtesy Thompson Thrift)

Sun King Brewing Co. has downsized its previous plan to build a major brewery and tasting room in Fishers and instead plans to open a smaller facility at The Yard at Fishers District.

The Indianapolis-based brewery company announced Tuesday that it would open a 13,000-square-foot specialty production craft brewery and tap room at the culinary-centric project slated for a 17-acre property east of Ikea on East 116th Street by late spring 2019.

The Yard, which is being developed by Terre Haute-based Thompson Thrift Retail Group, is expected to include as many as 25 to 30 food and entertainment businesses.

Sun King said the new facility will include the culinary incubator that the city of Fishers has planned for The Yard. The 3,000-square-foot culinary accelerator, which is intended to help entrepreneurial chefs test ideas or concepts, will include three food stalls open to the public and Sun King guests.

Thompson Thrift will own the building and has reached a 10-year-lease with Sun King. No city incentives were involved in the deal.

The city will lease the space for the incubator for $1 per year for 20 years, according to an earlier agreement with Thompson Thrift.

Additional details about the accelerator have not been released.

The Sun King Specialty Production Brewery will be capable of producing 5,000 barrels of specialty and experimental beers per year. Sun King’s core, seasonal and specialty beers will be at the tap room, along with spirits from Sun King’s distillery in Carmel, which is scheduled to open this year. Carry-out beer will also be available.

Plans for the brewery call for a 3,000-square-foot rooftop patio as well as areas designated for all ages.

The $10 million facility had been expected to be located on a 12.8-acre site just off Interstate 69, on the southeast corner of Kincaid Drive and Sunlight Drive. Sun King reached agreements to receive up to $3 million in state and local incentives to develop the project.

Sun King spokeswoman Beth Belange said original plans for the destination brewery became infeasible due to high construction costs. And, with growing activity at Interstate 69 and 116th Street in Fishers because of Ikea and Topgolf, the owners decided to “go all in at the Yard at Fishers District.”

“Sun King’s new specialty brewery will be an exciting addition to the Fishers District,” Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness said in written comments. “We’re incredibly proud of the collaboration between the city of Fishers and iconic Indiana businesses like Sun King Brewery that are fueling the growth of projects like the Fishers District that will attract residents and visitors, alike.”

Two existing concepts from St. Elmo Steak House operator Craig Huse—Burger Study and 1933 Lounge—will also open at The Yard in 2019.

Erdody joined IBJ in February 2015 and spent three years on the North of 96th beat, covering new and ongoing developments in the northern suburbs of Indianapolis. In early 2018, she switched gears to cover state government and politics. She also writes about philanthropy for IBJ.

Since graduating from the Indiana University School of Journalism in May 2012, the Michigan native has spent time at The Arizona Republic in Phoenix, The State Journal in Frankfort, Kentucky, and The Herald-Times in Bloomington. Even when she hasn’t been covering politics, she always had an interest in it. Election season can be crazy, but she loves reporting on campaigns and on Election Day (although it may have something to do with the fact that there’s always pizza in the newsroom).

Erdody still proudly cheers for the Detroit Lions, but she is a dedicated IU basketball fan. She enjoys running (she’s still surprised she ran a marathon once), playing tennis and traveling in her time off.

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